The problem with skinny fat 

 

Also known as “dad bod” or “mom bod,” “skinny fat” refers to a slender body type with small amounts of visible fat. Skinny fat people tend to have a type of fat called visceral fat, which is a fat that is stored around your organs instead of under your skin, so it isn’t visible. 

If you have visceral fat, you may not look overweight, but you may still have as much fat as someone who is overweight. 

The medical term for skinny fat is MONW, which stands for metabolically obese-normal weight. People who are MONW may look healthy but are at risk for conditions such as diabetes.  If you want to find out how much visceral fat you have you should consider having a Body Composition Analysis.

Along with visceral fat, here are some other factors that can lead to diabetes in slim people. 

Diet
Your diet is an important factor in your risk for diabetes. Even if you’re slim, a poor diet can still result in visceral fat. 

Diets high in sugar and unhealthy fats, such as saturated and trans fats, can increase the amount of fat in your body, which can lead to diabetes. 

Luckily, visceral fat is very responsive to diet and exercise. Eliminating processed, fried, sugary and fatty foods can help you lose visceral fat. 

Stress
Whether it’s from heavy traffic, an upcoming deadline or a visit to the doctor, stress is all around us. When we feel stressed, our body releases a chemical called cortisol. Cortisol triggers our fight-or-flight response (which helped our ancestors escape danger), but it can also lead to chronic stress, which can cause damage to the body.  

As part of the fight-or-flight response, cortisol raises your blood sugar level. If you experience stress for long periods of time, a chronically elevated blood sugar level may lead to weight gain, insulin resistance and diabetes.   

To reduce your risk of diabetes, take steps to reduce your stress levels. Try avoiding stressors, exercising more and practicing Heartmath, mindfulness, yoga or meditation.  If your stress levels are at where you feel you might need professional help, please contact me.

Fatty liver disease
Most people have heard about fatty liver disease, especially as a result of consuming too much alcohol. But it is also possible to get non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). 

NAFLD is a predictor of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, and some experts think it may even cause diabetes. Almost one in every three adults has NAFLD. It is caused by excessive amounts of sugar—especially sugar from syrups like high fructose corn syrup (which is a very common ingredient in most soft drinks and processed foods).

If you have fatty liver disease, talk to professional about how you can manage your risk of diabetes.